A 7.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of southern Alaska results in a temporary tsunami advisory.

Late on Saturday, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake prompted a brief tsunami advisory for southern Alaska; however, the advisory was revoked approximately an hour later, according to monitoring organisations.

According to the Alaska Earthquake Centre, the earthquake was felt strongly over the Aleutian Islands, Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions.

According to a video shared on social media, sirens in Kodiak, Alaska, warned of a potential tsunami and drove people driving to shelters late at night.

The earthquake struck at 10:48 p.m. on Saturday, 106 kilometres (65.8 miles) south of Sand Point, Alaska, according to a social media post by the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake’s magnitude was initially recorded as 7.4, however, it was shortly reduced to 7.2.

According to a tsunami warning from the U.S. National Weather Service, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21 kilometres (13 miles). About one hour after the initial alarm, the EPA rescinded the advisory.

Prior to the cancellation, the National Weather Service in Anchorage, Alaska, tweeted that Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula were not anticipated to be affected by the tsunami advisory, which covered coastal Alaska from Chignik Bay to Unimak Pass.

Soon after the tsunami warning was issued, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said that there was no danger to the islands.

Within three minutes following the initial earthquake, the same region of Alaska had eight aftershocks, the largest of which measured 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Unauthorised reoccupation of hazardous areas was discouraged, according to local emergency officials, KTUU reported.

According to KTUU, slight fluctuations in sea level were still conceivable.

Each year, thousands of earthquakes occur in Alaska, most of which are too tiny and deep to be felt. According to the Alaska Earthquake Centre, it is the state with the highest seismic activity in the United States and was the scene of the second-largest earthquake ever to be observed. A 9.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Prince William Sound in 1964 severely damaged south-central Alaska.

The Centre announced through Twitter that the earthquake that struck late on Saturday was in the same area as several others that had been over 7 magnitude recently.

The tweet read, “The once quiet “Shumagin Gap” isn’t so quiet anymore!”